How many times have you forgot your carrier bags when out shopping and had to buy more adding to the loads you already have at home ? People hoard carrier bags because they are afraid to throw them away because they care what happens to them afterwards . This would enable people to take their excess bags to the supermarket to be re-used by forgetful customers. Bags would be used again and again and would completely eliminate sales of new bags , lets face it there's enough in circulation to last years we just aren't managing it properly.

Plastic pollution is one of the biggest threats to our planet and wildlife, for years big companies have been criticized for their contributions to waste. Recently Macdonald's introduced paper straws in an effort to reduce their plastic waste, this resulted in a petition to 'bring back plastic straws' which so far has gained nearly 40,000 signatures, if you think this is ridiculous please sign and show your support.

McDonald's sells over 1 Billion happy meals every year around the world. Included in these are hard plastic toys inside plastic packaging, millions going to landfill every year, especially in the western world. We need to educate our children that this fast, throw away attitude is killing the planet. Put pressure on to McDonald's to stop this tradition that has no place in today's world.

In recent days fires have been raging on the surrounding moors damaging the sensitive ecology , using up valuable resources, threatening peoples' property, quality of life and livelihoods. Suggestions have been made that some of these have been started by the misuse of disposable BBQs. I would like to see more local authority endorsed encouragement given to locals and visitors to instead take a picnic (and responsibly removing their own litter) whilst simultaneously educating them about the fire risk posed by even sensible use of disposable BBQs near the moors.

The use of palm oil as an ingredient is one of the biggest causes of deforestation. Deforestation is one of the biggest preventable causes of climate change. Signs on packaging will allow people to make an informed choice. Changing consumer habits will reduce palm oil use and market forces will do the rest. Rain forests and orangutan habitats will be saved and felled trees can be replanted.

Amazon describes itself as the world's largest online retailer, and any small changes it makes could have a substantial impact, for better or worse, on a significant scale. Although Amazon's packaging has long had a tendency to be wasteful, recently matters have become even worse when the company switched from using cardboard sleeves and packets that could be recycled relatively easily to using plastic envelopes and packets that are mostly impossible to recycle. These are harmful to our natural environment in many ways: first, the manufacture of plastic packaging causes toxic micro-plastics to be released into the environment, especially waterways where they can end up poisoning marine life and thus the entire food chain. Next, after use, in the rare cases where the end consumer is able to get the plastic packaging to the appropriate recycling facility, more micro-plastics are released into the environment by the recycling process. Failing that, the packaging ends up in landfill where it will take centuries to break down, or worse still, dumped in developing countries or in the growing toxic monstrosity of plastic choking our oceans. Amazon should listen to the desires of its customers and behave with responsibility towards current and future generations. By choosing packaging without plastic that can be recycled relatively easily, Amazon could make a meaningful difference while setting an excellent example for other online retailers. If Amazon continues to show such disregard for our natural environment, it will continue to do untold harm.

Caged farming on land or water is innately cruel and severely damaging to our environment and the natural habitat of other species. Overcrowding leads to stress, disease and high mortality. Chemicals ineffectively used to treat disease and parasites such as sea lice, (which also transfer to wild fish populations) along with the large amounts of waste material (faeces) pollute the waters, destroy the seabed and biodiversity, wash up along the shore lines and beaches and give rise to health risks to humans and other animals. Dawnfresh Farming Ltd has announced £16 million plans to double their Scottish Trout production, but Rainbow Trout are not native to Scotland (they are larger than our native fish and when they escape their cages predate on the smaller fish). This proposed expansion at Ardentinny and into the Firth of Clyde would be at huge cost to the environment, the existing marine mammal population and human wellbeing and enjoyment of the beautiful coast lines of the West Coast of Scotland adversely affecting Tourism. The intensely populated cages would attract interest from predators such as seals and birds who can became entangled and die in nets and if deemed to be a persistent threat they are shot. An existing seal colony, established over many years and thriving at the proposed site at Ardentinny, Loch Long, would be at significant risk. Loch Long and the Firth of Clyde is one of the last thriving ecosystems for migratory salmonids in the west of Scotland, however Sir David Attenborough has recently accused fish farms of 'threatening the very survival' of wild salmon which is already in decline like everywhere else. The three proposed Firth of Clyde sites (Isle of Bute, Great and Little Cumbrae) at such a narrow point of the Firth means all fish coming from the Atlantic on their way to the river Leven and Loch Lomond are going to pick up sea lice. Loch Long and the Firth of Clyde has seen an increase in populations of porpoises, seals and even pods of dolphins and orcas at times seen far up into the Firth this would be thwarted by use of sonic deterrents at the above proposed sites to protect their stock. Please sign this petition and support me and other concerned parties in protecting our environment for future generations both human and non-human to enjoy safely.

Extinction Rebellion have shown how Waterloo Bridge could function as the people's Garden Bridge. Without traffic the bridge turned into a venue for cycling, walking, gathering, talking, singing and eating. Let's make it permanent.

Southampton airport wants to fell and reduce the height of trees at Marlhill Copse in order to allow shallower take off to the south. This will cause increased noise and nuisance to the whole of Southampton. In 2019 there was a High Court injunction protecting Marlhill Copse from any tree-works, but solicitors from both the airport and city council managed to overturn this on 2 July. The airport were due to submit a planning application to demolish around 20 large pines and hope it could be approved by a single Council officer with the minimum of formal public consultation. The planning panel has effectively agreed to a total of 219 trees having their height reduced - 93 trees by more than 10 metres. Marlhill Copse is a conservation area with Tree Preservation Orders. It is vital that any request for felling or crown-reduction is subject to the utmost scrutiny and that decision-making is absolutely transparent. There should be the fullest public consultation as it would be absurd to demolish the very carbon-capturing organisms that a Green City should be cherishing . The fate of Marlhill Copse is too important to be delegated to an officer or the planning panel. Marlhill Copse is a whole-city issue. It needs a whole-city response. If you can pledge to a fighting fund please email: [email protected] For updates please visit: https://sites.google.com/view/protect-marlhill-copse/home

By doing this we are reducing the amount of electricity used, therefore reducing pollution created.

Insect numbers have plummeted by 60% in the last 40 years. Biodiversity has reduced through poisoning with pesticides and the over-management of grassland areas. Kirklees owned land could become a haven for insects and other wildlife. Citizens could be made aware of the positive approach to biodiversity that has been adopted by the council and, as a bonus, it would save money by reducing the amount of times areas are mowed and ceasing the purchase of pesticides. There are other methods to control weeds where this is absolutely necessary, such as hot foam application and manual cutting. Hundreds of councils are already pesticide free, including Wadebridge, Lewes and Hammersmith so there is a precedent.

Glyphosate-based herbicides such as Round Up and Touch down pose a real risk to the public, our environment and horticultural workers. Calderdale’s Wildflower areas have all been treated with glyphosate to prepare for new seeds. This is irresponsible towards our people and insects. Roundup kills beneficial insects, it has been proven to cause mortality of live beneficial species including bees, thrichgramma, predatory mites, lacewings, ladybugs, and predatory beetles. Glyphosate in soil takes 140 days to break down to half its toxicity and will continue to be taken up by plants from the soil for 2 years and longer. It’s toxic to earthworms and inhibits mycorrhizal fungi. Mycorrhizal fungi are essential for tree health, collecting nutrients and water to feed their host plant and protecting tree roots from harmful fungi and root rot diseases. Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded that it was “probably carcinogenic”. Recently a break through court case against Monsanto was won by a man who developed cancer after using Roundup. He was awarded $289 million in damages. We know that in Hebden Bridge, Calderdale Council have sprayed Glyphosate each year on the following sites: Calder Holmes Park - wildflowers lawn Stubbings wharf – Heptonstall Turning circle wildflowers microsite Oldgate – wildflowers lawns In 2016 Calderdale Council announced a plan to reduce the use of glyphosate by 15% year, however figures show that in 2017 the amount used increased. Other councils now use the eco-friendly alternatives such as non-toxic Foamstream.